One million... minus one

I literally (ok not LITERALLY) have a million things to do right now. Zach took the 3 oldest munchkins to a UNLV basketball game while I stayed home with Jefferson. My day was a typical day, nothing out of the ordinary. However, Jefferson was a little on the fussy side (hmmmm.... have I said that before?). I don't know (like others can probably empathize) if it is ...

a. his teeth  

b.  his ears

c. just plain growing pains or

d. he's getting sick (I'm paranoid... a nasty one is going around). 

So needless to say that I got about 3 things done today... a shower, feeding the kids at decent times, and holding a cranky monkey! But that's not what this is about!!! After Zach left for the game, I came upstairs and played on the floor with Jefferson. He turned into a sweet, laughing, happy-go-lucky baby :) . He just melted my frustration right away. After 45 minutes of that... I (insert cringe here) nursed him to sleep. After months of a good bedtime routine I caved and spent more than enough time snuggling with my mushy, squishy 13 month old baby in a comfortable recliner, with a space heater pointed at me, and nursed him into a deep sleep. At one point the workhorse side of my brain almost forced me out of my chair to put my cute baby down in his crib, so that I could get started on the million things that are undone in my house. But I quickly slapped that workhorse directly in the butt and told her to hold on! The laundry, dishes, and floors will still be there in 20 more minutes. They will ACTUALLY still be there tomorrow morning, and next Wednesday, and a month from Friday... THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. But my sweet lil' Jefferson will not. Someday (sooner than later), he will not be a nursing baby. He will be too cool for hugs and kisses. He wont want me to rock him to sleep. He wont wrestle with me on the floor. He wont slime me and attack me while having me in a death grip by the scalp of my head. 

So instead of doing all the necessary things I "SHOULD" be doing, I'm documenting how much I love my life. There are always things that don't go as planned. Too often I get caught up in the fact that my picture perfect day gets ruined by the rain like in Mary Poppins. But when I can actually slow down and reflect... when I have a few minutes of peace to ponder and think... I'd rather take my messy chalk day over a picture perfect one ANYDAY!

My kids are healthy!

My husband loves me!

I have a home to live in!

I have a van to drive!

I have food to eat!

I have laundry to do!

These are blessings that some people don't have.

In my Grandpa Headlee's book of poems and inspirational thoughts, there was one that said

"I once complained that I had no shoes... until I met a man that had no feet".

Be thankful for what you have. I know I am. And I am going to try harder to thank the Lord more often,  for all that I have been blessed with.




Baby asleep. Check. 999,999 more things to do....